Page 29 - 2012_winter_issue

27 rails to trails u winter.12
Houston’s bicyclist-pedestrian coordinator,
Dan Raine, pedals across a section of the
Heritage Corridor trail near downtown.
destination
DDoes the thought of a journey
on yet another idyllic, pastoral
rail-trail bore you? Do you live in
a city that bends over backward
for cyclists and pedestrians, and
want to see how urban dwellers
in the other 90 percent of the
country navigate on two wheels?
If you answered “yes” to
either of these questions—or
if you’re just longing for a
unique escape from the winter
doldrums—grab your helmet
and your bike gloves and head to
Houston.
Houston? you ask. Rated one
HoustonStory and Photos
by Mark Cheater
of the worst cities for cyclists in
the country a few years back by
Bicycling magazine? Also ranked
as the ninth-most-dangerous
metropolitan area for pedestrians
in a recent report?
Indeed—but these days
“Houston Is On A Roll.” Tat’s
the motto of the city’s bikeway
program. Its coordinator, Dan
Raine, proudly points to the
supporting evidence: more than
700 bike racks installed on city
buses since 2007, and more than
300 miles of completed on- and
of-street bikeways (with 30
miles of new trails in various
stages of development).
Among the most interesting
developments are several new
rail-trails near downtown
Houston. Tese trails—the
Columbia Tap, the Harrisburg-
Sunset and the MKT/SP—
provide a total of 11 miles of
wide, well-maintained pathways
that can easily be navigated in a
day. Riding them will give you a
unique perspective on the culture
and history of the nation’s fourth-
largest city, and perhaps even
some newfound respect for it.